The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-02-24
WHAT THE DEN IS LIKE.

The building Is Of brick 32X48 feet IN
dimensions. 1t is divided into two
parts, the letter A marking door that
separates the departments of the two
sexes, the division marked being Occu-
pied by the women and that marked
being given up to the men, the little
squares designating the cells which
open into corridors In which about eight
Of both sexes are allowed to walk about
while other unfOrtunates are shelVed
away In the cells which are only 7 feet
8 inches long and feet inches wide.
The woodwork Of the cells is 8 feet high
and Is surm0unted with heavy iron
grating. There is q closed window at
each cell but only one ventilating flue
In the building. The letter D marks the
outer door to the insane house. The
black line at letter Z designates the
only bath tub In the building. By this
1t will be seen that whenever man Is
to be bathed, which occurs daily. he
must be taken into the wOmen's side
AND Is THEN STRIPPED
In the presence Of several females and
Is washed. The dividing door has
always been In charge of an old, imbe-
cile woman, who frequently leaves her
post and thus every opportunity for the
mixing Of sexes ls afforded and Is freely
taken advantage Of, as has been so
shockingly shown by the birth Of chill
dren to crazy women. 1t Will here be
seen that besides the little narrow cells
In which those who are confined can
scarcely turn around and which are per-
feet places of torture to helpless ones,
there s.e criminal opportunities offered
that are an outrage on all decency.
Then, besides this shameful condition
of things, In the crazy house proper all
classes and both sexes are herded pro-
miscu0usly about the yards and have
free access to each others rooms In the
main InfirmRry, while the poor and re-
spectacle must daily associate with the
most repulsiVe and horrible looking
specimens Of humanity. And then with
all this comes In the cruelty to inmates,
as has been shown in testimony, and
which charges have not been entirely
denied by those in charge. That
poor old men and women, for slight
Offenses, have been locked up In
the crazy house cells, and have been
left there for days and nights on bread
and water, and even In hobbies" has
been fully established. The inVestigat-
ing committee which has been at work
here for nearly two weeks has Just ex-
amined Superintendent M. r. Hamlin
Of the InhrmaFy, his wife and son; DR..
! A. Z. FOuser, the county physician, now
under arrest for
BODY SNATCHING
from the Infrmary cemetery, and has
also questioned the Inhrmary directors.
Mr.. and Mrs. HRmlin denied In part the
stories Of cruelty to inmates, but admit
ted that punishment by locking In cells
was very common. Mrs. Hamlin also
testified to rather remarkable circum-
stance. She said man named Jerry
PEBBLES, who is full Of passion, but has
stub feet, has for long time acted as
to girls who became mothers at the In
Urinary, Of whom twenty six have found
shelter at this place In the last five
years. PEBBLES, Mrs: Hamlin says, some
times takes the babies TO bed with him,
while another witness testified that he
was frequently seen In the rooms of
girls, and was. caught In decidedly COM
promising positions. But as wet nurse
much excuse is nowbeing offered for
him, ~, IN Gs ,erna II, b 1
DR.. Fouser made straightforward
statement, explaining all matters per
ataining TO the 1ndrmafy very sAtisfac
St0fily, but was not questioned on the
! grave T0bbing business. 49,. aai'et. o :
sg Mrs. J0eeph lClegg teatllled tc. seeing
Dr.. Carver. an. Inmate. OF the infirmaFy,
lying on Q filthy bed and the fies 10
Swarms on him while he was In dying
5ponQltlOu.. a. (, 1at, I 1iIgal